


I Know

by TheLoneRebels



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Anakin is Fed Up, Anakin on a Mission, Anidala, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Lux is a Goner, Luxsoka, Obitine, Tarkin is an ass, eventual LEMONS
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2019-08-23 02:07:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16609850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLoneRebels/pseuds/TheLoneRebels
Summary: After Ahsoka left the Order, she turned to Lux for comfort and the love they had for each other blossomed quickly. Fed up with all the Jedi poodoo, Anakin takes matters into his own hands and starts a domino effect that will change everything.





	1. I'm Not Optimistic

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Star Wars**

* * *

**There is an explanation of how the calendar works in 'Flame of Hope' if you're curious.**

* * *

**I Know**

**I'm Not Optimistic:**

_D83/20 BBY, Onderon_

When Lux saw on the news that Ahsoka had been accused of bombing the Jedi Temple and striped of her status as a Jedi, he almost dropped the glass of water he was chugging as his fingers suddenly lost all feeling.

His first thought was, 'No way in the Corellian Hells would Ahsoka do that!'

His second was, 'How come the Jedi Council was throwing one of the best of their own under the proverbial transport?'

After watching the news long enough to hear that Ahsoka's trial was being held first thing in the morning today, Coruscant time, Lux dashed out of the training gym in the basement of his mansion on Onderon and up four flights of stairs to get to his suite on the top floor. He showered and changed in record time and was in his personal ship in ten minutes flat.

The flight from Onderon to Coruscant was only a few hours long, but it felt like an eternity to Lux. He knew there was no possible way for him to get there in time for the beginning of the trial, but he hoped he might get there before the end.

While on route, Lux commed the only person he knew of that might actually answer him AND know what was going on.

A hologram of his late mother's friend, Padme Amidala, appeared a few moments later, moving as if she was walking. She looked stressed, despite her efforts at appearing calm and in control. "Good morning, Lux. Now's not a good time. I have to be in court in two minutes."

"My apologies, Padme. I just heard about Ahsoka on the news. Please. Just tell me. Does she stand a chance of being cleared of the charges?"

Padme's expression filled with regret. "I honestly don't think so. The evidence against her is overwhelming. I'll do my best, but..."

Lux felt like he couldn't breathe. Ahsoka might die. He knew the punishment for multiple murders could be as harsh as execution. And for someone accused of bombing the Jedi Temple and killing fellow Jedi...

Feeling lightheaded, he gulped in air and got it together. Sort of. "I'm on my way. Can you please, just tell her that?"

Padme looked sympathetic. "I will, Lux, if I can. I'm going to stall as long as I can anyway. Anakin's out there right now, trying to find the real culprit. I'm going to give him as much time as I can get away with."

Lux felt a smidgeon of hope again. If anyone could make things happen, it was Anakin and Padme. He doubted there were two more determined people in the entire galaxy. "Thank you, Padme. I'll be there in a few hours."

Padme nodded once and the hologram disappeared. Lux slumped in his seat and stared out at the blue and white of hyperspace blankly. He considered Ahsoka to be one of the best friends he'd ever had, and he knew their friendship could easily have been so much more if she wasn't a Jedi. In a rather large corner of his heart, he knew he'd loved her since the first day he met her, but he'd made that corner stay silent so as not to put any pressure on her. Now that corner was whimpering in pain, knowing the person who suited him best was facing a terrible time in her life and he wasn't there to support her.

Even though it wasn't his fault, since he couldn't have known unless someone had thought to comm him about it, Lux felt like scum.

* * *

A flicker of a smile came and went as Padme tucked her holo device into a hidden pocket in her robe. She hoped Lux got here in time. The friendship between the two teenagers had always made her smile and hope that it might turn into something more, even though she knew she shouldn't.

It was hard enough for Anakin to hide a relationship. Ahsoka's much more open personality would find it almost impossible, and she'd quickly find herself severely chastised, if not expelled, from the Order.

Padme sighed as she remembered the sad truth that that had already occurred, but never for a reason you would expect.

Padme came to a stop outside the door to the tribunal chamber, waiting for her signal to enter and take her place as Ahsoka's defending voice. A million thoughts were trying to take precedence in her mind, but the one that dominated the most was Ahsoka's defeated words just before the troopers had come and taken her from her cell.

"Forgive me if I'm not optimistic. I thought I was part of that Order, but everyone except Anakin has abandoned me. And I'm not holding out much hope the Senate will treat me any better."

It was all Padme could do not to cry for her young friend. Ahsoka should have been supported by the Order, not thrown out of it. She never should have had to run to the depths of Coruscant. She never should have had to team up with Ventress just to survive. She should never have to stand trial for crimes Padme was positive Ahsoka didn't commit. Her husband's Padawan was the sweetest, most caring being Padme had ever met.

She was also one of Anakin's very few sources of calm and joy in an ever increasingly tumultuous war. He needed her. As much as Padme hated to admit it, Anakin needed Ahsoka in his life every bit as much as he needed Padme. More now than ever, since Anakin was finding it harder and harder to trust in Obi-Wan.

Padme couldn't blame him really. Obi-Wan faking his death, and now supporting the Council, or at least not going against them, in their decision to expel Ahsoka from the Order were just the latest in a long list of complaints Anakin had about his former Master. She knew it was killing him, too, because her Ani loved his Master, and he couldn't understand why Obi-Wan seemed so determined to throw proverbial stones at their bond.

She startled slightly as a small chime sounded and the trooper in white and red armour guarding it nodded and pressed the button to open the door for her.

Smiling briefly in thanks, Padme took in a deep breath, calming herself, and walked forward, ready to make this last as long as possible so that Anakin had as much time as she could give him to come up with a miracle.

* * *

Anakin left the Republic military base at a jog, heading for his speeder. He needed to find Ventress and he needed to find her NOW. He knew she wouldn't be on one of the upper levels, so the first thing he did was fly down. And down. And down a little further, just for good measure.

Then he came to a stop in a dingy alleyway, closed his eyes and opened himself up to the Force. It was Dark and malevolent down here, but Anakin didn't flinch from it.. He used it instead, feeling like it suited his mood perfectly. Obi-Wan would be appalled, but Anakin found that he cared less and less what Obi-Wan thought as the days went by. At least that's what he told himself so he could occasionally sleep at night.

Calling up repugnant memories of how Ventress' Force signature felt, he searched for it, sending out his senses in ever widening sweeps.

A fraction of a smirk curled his upper lip when he found her. Bursting into a swirl of motion, he pulled on his hooded robe and sprinted down the alley, leaping up onto a rooftop, across to another and so on.

One minute later, he dropped down in front of her where she stood on a narrow platform. The muted lighting down here did absolutely nothing to improve her looks. If anything she looked even more like a figure from childhood nightmares. His enemy didn't seem surprised to see him. Pity.

"Anakin Skywalker," her less than dulcet tone said mockingly.

He snarled. "I know you're behind all this." Then he attacked her, oblivious to the fact that she seemed weaponless.

"Prove it," she spat. Ventress picked up a couple of pipes and did her best to defend herself, but Anakin was in no mood to play. He swung at her viciously with his lightsabre, the blue glow illuminating the area and hissing menacingly through the air. Her metal pipes were taken care of quickly. "Leave me alone," she cried as her last defence was sliced through and thrown away.

Anakin more or less growled as he flung her back against a wall, leaving a dent in the bricks, and then he pulled her forward again with the Force and wrapped his hand around her throat, squeezing just enough to cut off her air. She gasped and choked in his hold and something in Anakin thrilled at finally putting this witch in her place. "Tell me what happened!" he demanded, loosening his fingers just enough so she could.

Ventress looked at him with something that wasn't quite fear, but might have been the beginnings of respect, covered in a thick layer of scorn. "When I heard your little rat was on the run I thought she might bring a large bounty."

"Bounty?" he hissed, extremely displeased with the idea of Ahsoka being hunted by bounty hunters. He held his lightsabre to her neck, eyes narrowed in hate.

Ventress gasped and paled, spitting out words as fast as she could to save her hide. "I was going to catch your pet and turn her over to the authorities. Collect whatever bounty was due."

Anakin let her go as he felt the truth of her words. She honestly didn't seem to be involved in the original bombing. He sucked in a breath as a sense of reason returned to his mind. "What stopped you?"

Ventress straightened her clothes like getting beat up was a regular occurrence for her. "At first, I admit, I was just interested in the money and a little bit of revenge. But then I realized your fallen Padawan and I have a lot in common."

The rage returned in an instant from the place where it bubbled just beneath the surface of his emotions more often than not lately. "How dare you compare yourself to Ahsoka!" His Snips was nothing like this lying, murdering, Sith wannabee snake of a female.

"It's true!" She practically yelled right in his face, making him rear back in shock. "My Master abandoned me and that's exactly what you did to her. You and your precious Jedi order." Anakin's first thought was outright denial. He hadn't abandoned Ahsoka! He'd fought for her with the Council. He'd fought for her with Obi-Wan. He'd done everything he could to get her out of a cell as fast as possible. He was still fighting for her. But Ventress' words struck a chord and it made him wonder. Could he have done more? Tried harder to find her? It's not like he couldn't track her down if he really wanted to; their bond saw to that. Maybe he could have hidden her. Gotten her off planet until the real culprit was found. Maybe if he had, she wouldn't be expelled now. He'd felt her pain as if it was his own when the Council threw her out and he knew that had been beyond devastating to her. (It was devastating to him too.) His poor little Snips.

"Explain to me what happened two nights ago. Ahsoka thinks you attacked her in the warehouse. I need to know how you're involved in all this," Anakin asked, sort of nicely.

Ventress huffed at him, but thankfully didn't give him anymore reasons to want to kill her at the moment. "At first, I thought I'd caught myself a good bounty. Then we talked for a few minutes and I found myself wanting to help your pet instead. We were caught by a squadron of your clone troopers, but we took care of them, without..." and she rolled her eyes at this, "killing any, because Tano asked my not to. We then travelled to a warehouse and she said she'd be alright, so I left her. I actually feel bad for that, now." Now Anakin was rolling his eyes. "After I left the warehouse, after I left your little Padawan alone, I was walking away, and I thought she came up behind me to talk more. But I was wrong. Someone came from out of nowhere and hit me from behind. Not just anyone can sneak up behind me. It had to be another Jedi."

This rubbed Anakin the wrong way. He snarled out, "I don't believe you."

She snarled right back. "Believe it. Whoever you're looking for has my lightsabres. That's how you'll know you've found the criminal."

That was the first time he actually noticed she wasn't carrying them on her person. He couldn't sense the sad whimper of their Kyber crystals at all. Anakin actually felt a moment of pity for her. Being parted with one's lightsabre was never pleasant, even if she had perverted her crystals, they were still bonded to her.

His shoulders sagged as he propped his forearms against a rusty railing and stared blankly into the perpetual night of the Coruscant underworld. "Well, this leads me to a dead end. You're the only one Ahsoka talked to."

He sensed her presence startle a little from where she was leaning on the other railing. "That's not true."

Anakin whirled around. "Whatayamean?" His words came out so fast, he lost the ability to separate them.

Ventress almost looked at him with sympathy. He wasn't sure if he wanted it. "Your Padawan contacted the Temple. She spoke to someone named... Barriss. That's why we went to the warehouse in the first place. It was this Barriss that told us to go there."

Anakin sucked in a breath at the truth he felt in her words. He thought he might just have the lead he needed to solve this. And please, Force, let it be in time.

Narrowing his eyes at her one more time, he warned, "If you're lying, your dead."

As he jumped off the platform, he heard her laugh. "Such promises."

Anakin snorted as a grudging modicum of respect for the vile woman passed through him. He had to admit that she did have spirit. He wondered what she would have been like if she'd been trained in the Temple instead of by Dooku. Would she actually have been a friend?

He shuddered and perished the thought to the furthest corners of his mind, never to be found again.

* * *

Five traffic law defying minutes later, Anakin pulled up to the Jedi Temple as close to Barriss' quarters as he could get away with. He still had to navigate a few million steps, but he jumped those, and sprinted to her door, ignoring the surprised exclamations from anyone he happened to pass.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed his racing heart and Force signature and knocked on the door.

"Enter," came the placid voice of Barriss from within. For the first time, Anakin realized he hadn't even thought to wonder if she'd even be in her quarters. Thank the Force for small miracles.

Anakin entered. "Barriss, I need to talk to you."

She rose gracefully from her meditation pose and faced him. (She always had seemed like the perfect little epitome of a Jedi. How appearances could be deceiving.) "Master Skywalker. How can I help you?"

Anakin glanced around her small, austere chamber and called her lightsabre to his hand from the little table it lay on. (And wasn't that interesting. It should have been attached to her belt so as to keep the Kyber crystal as close to her person as possible. Most Jedi didn't even like to take them off to go to sleep, but they did anyway for the sake of comfort.) He opened his shields slightly and felt the Kyber crystal in it. It sang happily enough, like a true Jedi's crystal should, but there might have been an undertone of concern in the song. He ignored how much his own lightsabre sang the same song of concern and instead focused on the familiar feel of Ventress' lightsabres. He wasn't surprised when he felt them near. Now he just needed her to confess so the open comm link in his pocket could record it.

On the way, Anakin had called one of the two unbiased people he could think of who wasn't already in the tribunal. The first was Rex, but he knew Rex was on a scheduled rest period and didn't want to disturb him. (Rex got so little down time as is.) Instead, he called Lux Bonteri. Anakin wasn't surprised to find out that Lux was on his way. He actually felt bad for not thinking of him sooner and informing him of Ahsoka's predicament and had apologized for the oversight; he knew very well how much his Snips and Lux cared for each other. Lux, being the truly nice person that he was, had said not to worry about it. Now he was making a recording of everything Barriss said over the comm link for evidence against her.

Anakin played it cool to the best of his ability. "I was told that you spoke with Ahsoka before she was arrested. What did you say to her?"

"We've been friends for a long time," Barriss evaded. "I was only trying to help her. I hope I'm not in any trouble."

Anakin huffed mentally. She was a smart one. "It's no trouble. I just need to know what you told her and if you told anyone else."

"No. I thought I had a clue for her, but I really couldn't tell her anything." Evasions again. Grrrr. "Who told you I spoke to her?"

Anakin brought out his trump card. "Ventress. She told me." Barriss' eyes widened fractionally, but that was the only sign she was alarmed. Yeesh, this girl was good.

"Ventress. Isn't she the one Ahsoka says is really behind all this?"

Anakin couldn't help but notice she was trying to unobtrusively get closer to the door and the ceramic pot on the floor he could feel Ventress' lightsabres hiding in. Still nothing useful in regards to a voiced confession, but he could feel her resolve gathering in the Force. It looked like he might have to go with plan B. He liked plan B better anyway. "That's what Ahsoka says, but I think she's wrong. Ventress thinks someone else is involved."

"And you believe her? Who else could it be if not her? Surely not Ahsoka?"

Anakin pretended to study her lightsabre nonchalantly. "No. I don't think it was Ahsoka either. I think both Ahsoka and Ventress were telling the truth. But... there's only one way to find out." He lunged at the lying Padawan who'd put his Snips in danger and attacked her with her own lightsabre.

The sense of vindication he got when she summoned Ventress' lightsabres from the pot was almost climactic. He curled his lip at her as the two red lightsabres hissed against her own blue one. "Funny. Those belong to Ventress. You should have gotten rid of them." Even he could hear the disgust in his voice.

"I think they suit me," she taunted back.

Anakin swung at her again.

* * *

Lux sat in his ship with wide eyes, breath almost held, and body as tense as a board as a series of lightsabre hisses, grunts and crashes took up the next few minutes as he listened to the battle via Anakin's pocket. This wouldn't be his first choice of how he found out how things were going, but it wouldn't be his last either. He wished he had a visual to go with the racket and muttered curses, but he figured he could make do with his imagination.

They didn't talk much, but he did hear Anakin growl out, "Ahsoka trusted you and you betrayed her!"

Barriss replied with an equally venomous, "I've learned that trust is overrated. The only thing the Jedi council believes in is violence."

Ouch.

And the sound of another lightsabre igniting and more clashing and banging.

"Cease hostilities," also came over the comm at some point in the background more than once. Lux figured that must be the Temple guards. He'd seen them once or twice. They were intimidating looking, but he'd always likened them to statues; there to be seen but not really do anything. Apparently they actually moved. Or at least talked. Good to know.

"Barriss!" Anakin yelled at one point, making Lux wince when he got some feedback from it. That was almost instantly followed by the sound of breaking glass. Now Lux was left wondering what had been broken.

More grunting and fighting sounds. Then Lux winced in sympathy as it sounded like Anakin was falling down a flight of stairs.

The voice of a boy yelled, "Look out!" and the fight was back on, lightsabre sounds going nuts once again. Wow, did Lux ever wish he could see what was going on. This had to be one hell of an epic fight.

Finally, the battle seemed to end and Anakin's voice growled out, "You're under arrest, Barriss Offee. You're going to regret ever framing my Padawan. I wish you could experience everything my Snips went through, but I'll have to settle for seeing you rot in a cell for the rest of your life, IF the Senate decides to let you live."

Lux felt a chill run down his spine at the pure hate he heard from Anakin. He was not a man you wanted to get on the bad side of, that was for sure.

He listened to the sound of marching feet for a minute before Anakin's hologram appeared. "Thank you, Lux. That should be good enough, I hope."

Lux smiled wanly. "I would imagine so. I should arrive within the hour and will bring the recording with me."

Anakin nodded slightly. "If this goes the way it should, you'll find us at the Temple. Ask for me and someone will get you wherever I am."

Lux smile became a little more real. "Thank you. See you soon."

Anakin made an attempt at returning the smile and then the hologram disappeared.

Lux leaned back in his chair and sighed in relief. The real culprit had been caught. Ahsoka should be safe now. He closed his eyes and just processed as all of the emotions of the last couple hours left him feeling exhausted. Until Anakin had commed him, Lux had spent his flight imagining all the dreadful things Ahsoka must have gone through and was going through right now. He couldn't even begin to guess how Ahsoka was feeling at the moment. Until Anakin arrived at the Tribunal with Barriss, Ahsoka would be under the impression that she was doomed. Poor, poor precious Ahsoka.

Lux's heart was still breaking for her and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right. That he'd make sure that everything would be all right from now until the end of eternity. And maybe, if the opportunity presented itself, he'd tell her that he loved her. Life was so short; why was he wasting it just being friends with the person he adored more than life itself? She might turn him down, but at least he would have tried. He didn't care if she was a Jedi or not, he felt like he needed her to know that someone loved her. It felt vitally important right now, like maybe the Force was telling him that Ahsoka needed the words from him.

At least now, thanks to Anakin's determination, there was a really good chance of that happening.


	2. You Are Free To Go

**You Are Free To Go:**

_D83/20 BBY, Coruscant_

Ahsoka knew her farce of a trial would haunt her nightmares for years to come (assuming she lived out the week). Every word spoken was already ingrained in her memory. And it wasn't over yet.

It had started with Palpatine of course. He made her skin crawl, as usual. She didn't know how Anakin could stand to be in his presence so often. "Ahsoka Tano." (Butchering her first name, like always). "You have been charged with sedition against the Jedi Order and the Republic itself. This court will decide your fate. Prosecution, you may begin your arguments."

Tarkin, that backstabbing sleemo, was the Prosecution. How quickly he forgot how often she or Anakin had saved his life. "Former Padawan Tano. I shall prove that you were the mastermind behind the attack on the Jedi Temple. And that once your accomplices carried out your orders, you eliminated them one by one. When you are found guilty, I ask the court that the full extent of the law be brought down upon you. Including penalty of death."

Ahsoka had exchanged shocked glances with Padme at that. No one had said execution was a possibility. She supposed they had been trying to save her some anxiety, but was this any better?

Padme had done her absolute best to defend her. The woman really was a saint. No wonder Anakin loved her so much; she deserved all the love the galaxy had to offer. She talked for as long as she could, but her closing point had been particularly poignant. Ahsoka could actually sense the Council in their chairs high above her shuffle a little in shame at what was transpiring. Go Padme. "Look at the facts. Letta Turmond called Ahsoka to her cell to reveal the name of the true mastermind of the bombing of the Jedi Temple. Letta told Ahsoka she was afraid. She told her the mastermind was a Jedi. And before she could reveal the Jedi's name, Letta Turmond was strangled to death by way of the Force. Why would Ahsoka kill Letta with a method that would so obviously tie the murder to her? A Jedi may be responsible for the murder, but that Jedi is not Ahsoka Tano. Members of the court; you are prosecuting the wrong Jedi."

That brought Ahsoka to the moment she was actually in.

Tarkin was clapping Padme mockingly. Ahsoka wished a bucket of bantha fodder would magically fall on his head. "Well said, Senator Amidala. However, if she is innocent, then why was she seen conspiring with the main Separatist terrorist, Asajj Ventress?"

Even though she wasn't supposed to speak unless addressed, Ahsoka just couldn't be quiet anymore. "Ventress set me up! My Master will prove that."

Tarkin looked at her with a mockingly raised brow. "And where is your Master?"

"He's trying to find the real murderer!" Ahsoka cried.

"Then maybe he should be looking at you."

Ahsoka's world fell out from under feet as she felt the majority of the people in the massive square chamber agree with that statement. She glanced at Padme helplessly. Padme looked back at her with sorrow and apology.

Ahsoka stood with shoulders slumped and head bowed, utterly defeated, as Palpatine made the closing statement, doing her best not to hear him, but his words made it past her montrals anyway. "I'm sure many of you look at this former Jedi and think, surely she cannot be this murderer or saboteur that they speak of. And yet, think of all the times we have been fooled by the Separatists and how they have infiltrated the Republic and ask yourself; is this another Separatist scheme? Another way to rip the Jedi, and subsequently all of us, apart?" He paused for dramatic effect. "The decision is yours, fellow members of the Senate. Please vote now."

Ahsoka counted the seconds while the votes were cast on datapads. It was only fifty seconds before she heard the voice of the lead Senator on the jury announce they were finished. Fifty measly seconds. This was just as bad as the trial before the Jedi council. And that was a complete mockery of the word 'trial'. "The members of the court have reached a decision."

She swore she could feel Palpatine's glee as he said, "Ahsoka Tano." (Still flipping the 's' and 'h' around and making her name sound like 'Ash' and something dirty in his mouth) "By an overwhelming count of..."

Suddenly, the door to the chamber opened and Anakin's voice rang through the room. "Chancellor!"

Ahsoka startled and swung around to look at her Master with desperate hope in her eyes. Anakin glanced at her, sending waves of reassurance at her through their bond. The band that had been squeezing around her chest loosened and Ahsoka felt like she could breathe again.

Palpatine wasn't happy, to put it bluntly, to lose his triumphant moment over Ahsoka. He landed a barely disguised glare at Anakin. "I hope you have a reason for bursting into our proceedings, Master Skywalker."

Anakin levelled Palpatine with his own stare of triumph. "I'm here with evidence and a confession from the person responsible for all the crimes Ahsoka's been accused of." The Temple Guards following Anakin moved to reveal the culprit and Ahsoka gasped quietly, meeting the eyes of her friend that had set her up to take the fall in such a cruel fashion, before the other girl skated her gaze away. Anakin gestured to the one who had almost gotten Ahsoka executed. "Barriss Offee, member of the Jedi order, and traitor."

Ahsoka still couldn't quite believe it. Not that she thought Anakin would deliberately bring the wrong person, but it was so much easier to think of Ventress as the evil one as opposed to someone she'd considered to be one of her closest friends. "Barriss, is that true?"

Anakin more or less growled at Barriss as Ahsoka's pain at the betrayal cut through him over the bond. "Tell them the truth!"

Barriss glared at him for half a moment before she stepped forward proudly. "I did it." Her voice rang loud and clear over the mass inhale that almost everyone took in surprise and she easily met the eyes of everyone in the room, Council members included. "Because I've come to realize, what many people in the Republic have come to realize, is that the Jedi are the one's responsible for this war. That we've so lost our way, that we have become the villains in this conflict. That WE are the ones that should be put on trial. All of us! And my attack on the Temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become; an army fighting for the Dark side, fallen from the Light that we once held so dear. This Republic is falling! It's only a matter of time."

The tribunal chamber was dead silent for a few heartbeats before Palpatine's disgusted voice called out, "Take her away." He focused his attention on Ahsoka after the Temple Guards had led Barriss away. "Ahsoka Tano." (And he butchered her name yet again. Not for the first time, she wondered if he did it on purpose.) "In light of the confession of Padawan Barriss Offee, you are free to go."

As her platform moved back towards where Anakin stood, Ahsoka really didn't know what to think now. She was cleared of the charges, but at the cost of losing a friend. It just didn't feel like the victory it should have. Barriss' words made a sad sort of sense. The Jedi Order really did seem to be losing its way compared to what she'd been taught as a youngling. What happened to being peacekeepers? When had the Jedi turned into fighters? And not just within the war, but within themselves. What was the Order coming to when one of the gentlest Jedi feels the need to act out in such a malicious way to make her point?

Ahsoka met her Master's relieved blue eyes as she stepped onto the platform beside him. They said nothing out loud, not wanting to talk in front of the Senators that were still milling around and mumbling to each other, but she thanked him through the bond and he sent back his relief that he'd made it in time.

They walked out of the tribunal chamber shoulder to shoulder, a united force against anything that tried to separate them, but Ahsoka wasn't sure how long that was going to last. She'd still been kicked out of the Order, and frankly, she wasn't entirely convinced that she wanted back in.

Once out in the hallway and away from prying eyes, Ahsoka flung herself into Anakin's arms, relishing the feel of his strong arms holding her close. "Thank you, Master," she said into his tunic. "They were just about to declare me guilty and sentence me to execution."

Anakin sucked in a breath at hearing that and hugged her tighter in apology. "I'm so sorry, Snips. I was so worried I wouldn't be in time. I broke about a hundred traffic laws for you."

Ahsoka pulled back and grinned at him. "That's nothing new. You break traffic laws anytime you feel like it."

Anakin shrugged unapologetically. "Yes, well. This time was a lot more than normal. I even had a pack of droid cops following me with their sirens blaring."

Ahsoka laughed, happy to lose herself in the simple banter and not think too much about what was yet to come.

Padme came rushing around the corner, relief on her face. "Ahsoka! I'm so glad that worked out." She stopped beside her young friend and gave her a quick hug, regardless of how filthy Ahsoka's clothes were.

"Thank you, Padme. Thank you for trying. I know you did everything you could to clear me."

Padme smiled sadly at the girl. "If it wasn't for Anakin..." She glanced up at her husband, sending him her gratitude and love with her eyes.

Anakin blushed slightly, glancing at the floor. "I just did what I had to. Ventress was actually helpful, believe it or not. Barriss stole her lightsabres and pretended to be her in the warehouse. Her biggest mistake was keeping them." He pulled the two curved lightsabres out from the back of his belt and looked at them ruefully before putting them back. "Now I have to give them back to her, and that grates something awful." He shrugged at Ahsoka with a crooked grin on his lips. "But she did help you and actually seems to kind of like you now. I can't, in good conscious, keep them."

"No, you can't," Obi-Wan's voice floated down the hallway as he approached. "As much as I would like to personally space those wretched things, she did help our little Padawan and we owe her them back at the very least."

Anakin and Ahsoka rolled their eyes at each other and smirked at Obi-Wan's dry and disgusted tone.

He came to a stop on the other side of Ahsoka and touched her shoulder for a moment in remorse. "I am sorry, Ahsoka, that I couldn't do more to help you. Thank the Force our Anakin is so good at disobeying orders."

Ahsoka smiled sadly at her grandmaster. "I understand, Master. I know you did what you could."

"Did you really?" Anakin mumbled under his breath, but everyone heard him anyway. Padme shot him a look that he ignored. Ahsoka shook her head at him.

Obi-Wan sighed softly at the accusation in Anakin's eyes. They were going to have to work this out later, alone. For now... "The Council wants to see you, Ahsoka, in the Temple. We're to go there immediately."

"Yes, Master," Ahsoka said obediently, hiding a sigh at her dashed hopes of going to her quarters and taking a long shower and getting a change of clothes. It had been days since she'd seen a shower and the places she'd been since then... Well, let's just say she had a distinct aroma wafting from her that was not her own.

"You too, Anakin," Obi-Wan said over his shoulder as he turned towards the exit of the building.

Anakin rolled his eyes at his Master's back. "As if I'd let them at you without me being there," he muttered to Ahsoka, making her snort in amusement. He sighed and strode after Obi-Wan.

Ahsoka was about to do the same, but Padme's hand on her arm stopped her. She raised a brow marking in inquiry.

Padme glanced furtively at the men who'd stopped to see what the holdup was and then whispered, "Lux told me to tell you that he's on his way. If he doesn't find you, you can come see him at my apartment."

Ahsoka beamed at Padme, her heart filling with joy to hear that Lux was coming for her. "Thank you. I'll come see you later, regardless."

Padme smiled happily and then waved her off.

Ahsoka had to hide the new bounce in her step as she caught up to Anakin and Obi-Wan. "She was just inviting me to her apartment later for a small celebration when I get the chance," she explained before they could ask questions.

As they walked together to Anakin's speeder, Ahsoka thought about Lux. It's not like her friendship with him was a big secret or anything, so there was no real need for subterfuge in seeing him, but Ahsoka felt different now then she had a few days ago. Almost like she honestly couldn't care less if she kept to the Jedi code anymore or not because she felt betrayed and essentially spat on by the Council. Which meant she had no idea what she'd do when she saw Lux. It was better to be safe than sorry for the moment, until she heard what the Council had to say.

After escaping from prison, she'd been so tempted to jump on a ship and go to Onderon and hide from her problems in Lux's home, knowing he'd welcome her in an instant, but Ahsoka had known if she'd done that, she'd never be able to live with herself.

She'd also had to fight with herself over whether or not to comm him about what was happening, but she knew he'd come galloping to her rescue and would talk her into going into hiding, and again, she just couldn't do that.

So she'd left poor Lux in the dark. He must have found out on his own, and here he was, still coming galloping to the rescue.

Ahsoka sighed internally over how sweet that was. She'd been tempted, oh so tempted, in the past to give in to her feelings for Lux and tell him how she felt about him, but her ingrained teachings had always held her back. She'd wished she could be like Anakin and just throw the no attachment rule to the wind and have a secret relationship with Lux the same way Anakin did with Padme, but she was afraid she wouldn't be able to hide it like he did.

Now... Well, now she was going to wait and see how the next half hour played out. It might not even be necessary for her to do anything secretive. But she did have one resolve firmly set in her mind; the minute she saw Lux in a private setting, she was telling him how she felt about him. If she rejoined the Order, then she'd do what Anakin did and keep it a secret. If she didn't... then the Order could go hang itself and she was going to have her happily ever after with Lux.

She was ninety-nine percent sure that Lux would be totally on board with that. Because, except for the brief period after she'd told him they could never be more than friends and he'd sort of pursued Steela Gerrera as a way to cover his hurt, he'd never shown any interest in any other girls. She also had a fairly good grasp of his feelings because he wasn't very good at hiding them, and she knew he loved her. Right now, that thought was enough to give her the courage to continue onwards and face the Council that had discarded her word and thrown her out like trash.

* * *

The trip to the Temple was over quickly and the next thing she knew, Ahsoka was standing in the big Council chamber, surrounded by the wisest and best the Jedi Order had that weren't currently away fighting in the war.

She didn't feel safe at all and she wondered when the people she'd looked up to the most had become like strangers to her.

Yoda was the first one to break the uncomfortable silence. "Brought you here to rectify a wrong, we have. Acted hastily, we did, and sorry we are."

Ahsoka smiled at the old Master that she'd always adored. Yoda had been one of her teachers for as long as she could remember and would always have a soft spot in her heart.

Master Plo spoke next, sending his sincerest regrets over their light bond and she couldn't help but smile at him as well. "You have our most humble apologies, little Soka, the Council was wrong to accuse you."

Like Anakin and Obi-Wan, Master Plo was someone she was pretty sure she could forgive almost anything, and she told him that with her eyes and through the Force. She could feel the relief he sent back.

Master Tiin continued. "You have shown such great strength and resilience in your struggle to prove your innocence." Ahsoka gave him a slight smile as well, thanking him for recognizing her determination.

At this point, Ahsoka was thinking that maybe she could come back. Everyone seemed very sincere in their remorse.

"This is the true sign of a Jedi Knight," Master Ki-Adi-Mundi added.

Ahsoka blinked. Wow. That actually made her feel a little bit better. She'd worked her whole life to become a Knight; and now she was starting to think maybe she should come back and take her trials. It sounded like they'd let her do them early, which would be pretty sweet.

But then Master Windu opened his mouth and ruined it all, radiating a sense of self-indulgent righteousness. "This was actually your Great Trial. Now we see that." Ahsoka crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Windu like he'd lost his mind. She didn't want to be handed her Knighthood on a silver platter because they'd made a mistake and they knew it. If he couldn't man up enough to apologize properly, and she felt no remorse in him, he could take his bantha poodoo and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. The Master continued, oblivious to her swiftly changing mood. "We understand that the Force works in mysterious ways. And because of this Trial you have become a greater Jedi then you would have otherwise."

Ahsoka looked from one face to the next and saw that this wasn't a surprise to them. They'd actually talked about this and thought they could buy her forgiveness with a quick Knighting that would mean absolutely nothing to her. Kriff that.

"Back into the order, you may come."

Between what Barriss had said earlier, Windu's stupid quick fix, and Yoda's words now, she'd reached the end of her rope. They should be begging her to come back, not giving her this condescending excuse of a ceremony. Ahsoka was not pleased, to put it lightly.

She glanced at Obi-Wan, since he was with them in the speeder and couldn't have known what the rest of the Council had been talking about. He seemed shocked and dismayed and she saw the dawning realization in his eyes that the Council had just blown it big time. They didn't know her at all if they thought she wouldn't want to earn her Knight status the same way everyone else did; the hard way.

Ahsoka looked at Anakin next, and she knew that he knew that the Council had just made a very big mistake as well, but he tried to fix it. Oh, how he tried to fix it. His eyes were begging her as he said, "They're asking you back, Ahsoka. I'M asking you back," and held out the Silka beads that had been torn off her head yesterday.

Ahsoka stared at those beads for endless moments, thinking about what they represented; her bond with Anakin, all her hard work, her status as a Jedi, and then she gently closed his hand over the beads and looked him in the eyes with all the regret in her soul at how this would hurt him showing for him to see. "I'm sorry, Master, but I'm not coming back."

Despite the pain tearing across their bond, Ahsoka turned and left Anakin and the Council behind before she burst into tears in front of them. It was all she could do to walk calmly away from them and not let her tumultuous emotions bleed into the Force for everyone to feel.

Anakin held back a whimper as the doors closed behind Ahsoka and his fist clenched around her beads. He shot a glare at Windu for ruining everything and at Obi-Wan for letting this happen and then ran after her.

Obi-Wan's heart was breaking for both his Padawans and he desperately wanted to follow them and make it right. He almost did, but Plo held him back and he realized the other Jedi was right. Anakin and Ahsoka needed a few moments to themselves first. He'd talk to them later and beg on his knees if he had to to get them to forgive him for not being able to change anything.

For the third time in the last half year, Obi-Wan almost hated the Jedi Council that he was a part of. He came to the realization that something desperately needed to change with the Council if he was going to stay on it. He couldn't keep letting his loved ones down like this. He felt like he was on the verge of losing his bond with Anakin and that would hurt every bit as much as losing Satine and Qui-Gon had.

He wasn't sure he could survive a third devastating loss.


	3. Always Be Here For You

**Always Be Here For You:**

_D83/20 BBY, Coruscant_

Ahsoka strode through the hallways, almost running, aiming for the nearest exit, wanting, needing, fresh air. She was trembling with suppressed outrage and sorrow combined. Tears were trickling down her cheeks, unheeded.

How DARE the Council treat her like that?

And how dare SHE do that to poor Anakin?

She could feel his shock and grief even now, trickling through their bond even though he was trying to hide it from her. From himself as well, she bet.

Her head was down and her arms were wrapped around herself as she moved, following a path she knew by familiarity as opposed to sight. Too many times she and Anakin had been called into the Council chamber to make reports or get scolded for something or other. Too many times she'd walked these hallways, almost always with Anakin at her side as they waited to get outside before complaining too each other about the latest annoyance the Council had put them through.

Now she was alone.

And it hurt.

She was so centered on her own misery she didn't feel his presence until she was literally on top of him and his hands came to rest on her shoulders, stopping her forward momentum. "Ahsoka! Are you okay? What happened?"

Ahsoka looked up into Lux's sympathetic, concerned, and caring silver and storm cloud eyes and basically broke down, no longer able to contain all her emotions with someone there to share them with her.

She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shoulder, shoulders shaking with sobs.

Lux wrapped his arms around her, heart breaking for her, and held her as close to him as dared. He met the mask of the Temple Guard who had escorted him this far and nodded his head slightly, indicating a thanks and that he didn't need an escort anymore.

The Guard nodded back and politely left them alone.

Lux shuffled them over to a nook in the wall behind a column for a little more privacy and then just rubbed her back soothingly while she cried, making little shussshing sounds.

He couldn't help but notice that she was positively filthy from her montrals down and there was a rather unpleasant odour wafting from her clothes, but he didn't care. This was the first time he'd legitimately had her in his arms and he wasn't going to push her away just because she hadn't been given a chance to bathe in days. He flinched mentally to think what she'd gone through and the places she'd been to get so grimy. He'd seen her come back from battles looking better than this.

* * *

Anakin power walked down the halls, looking for Ahsoka. He could feel her near and he NEEDED to talk to her. Out of instinct, he was making his way towards their usual quick exit from the Temple. "Ahsoka?" he called, sensing her really close now, but not seeing her.

A lightly cleared throat made Anakin skid to a stop and whirl around. He took in the sight of Ahsoka huddled into Lux's form and blinked in surprise and then slight embarrassment. "Oh," Anakin said softly.

Lux's mouth quirked and he shrugged ever so slightly.

Anakin glanced at the door only a metre away and Lux nodded in understanding. Anakin left them alone and walked outside. He sat down on a step with his back against a pillar and waited, all the while trying to figure out how to make this complete disaster of a mess better.

He wasn't having much luck.

* * *

Ahsoka froze when she heard Anakin call her name and then tried to hide in Lux. It didn't work of course, but her tears dried up mighty quick from the embarrassment of being caught having an emotional breakdown and hugging Lux.

She pulled back a little and swiped the remaining tears off her cheeks with a hand, then looked up at Lux.

Lux looked back down at her with a gentle smile, his hand rising as well to try and help with the mess her face was. His mouth quirked in apologetic amusement. "You've just smeared the dirt lines around."

Ahsoka shook her head ruefully. "I feel disgusting. And I've made you all filthy too. Sorry, Luxi." She couldn't help but notice that they still had one arm each around the other in a loose hug and how incredibly nice it felt. She had no desire to move away. If anything, she wanted to snuggle back into his chest and just close her eyes and fall asleep against his strength. It had been so very long since she'd slept properly, but now that the nightmare was over and she felt safe again, her exhaustion was starting to weigh her down.

Lux glanced down at his tunic and chuckled, seeing the streaks of dirt that had transferred from her clothes to his. "They're just clothes. They'll wash. And since it's dirty anyway..." He grabbed the bottom hem of his tunic and raised it to clean the worst of the tear streaks off her face as gently as he could.

Ahsoka was speechless as she was treated to the sight of Lux's chest and abdomen muscles, barely feeling the fine cloth on her cheeks. For a politician, he was incredibly well defined. She knew he trained so he could fight if he had to, but she just hadn't quite realized that he'd trained that dedicatedly. Ahsoka was impressed. And turned on, she realized, as she felt a wave of heat sweep through her. That was new. And not unwelcome, since it gave her troubled mind something else to dwell on.

The hem of his shirt dropped back down, hiding his golden skin from view, and Ahsoka blinked as she looked back up and into Lux's eyes again.

Lux's breath caught as he saw something in her beautiful blue eyes that he'd never seen from her before; something he'd felt for her since the first day he'd met her and she'd told him to, 'Look at me. I'm not so bad, am I?' Ahsoka was looking at him with genuine desire.

FINALLY.

Thank the stars, finally. She finally got it. He was so tempted to kiss her right now. So tempted. His head even lowered a fraction before he stopped himself.

But now wasn't the time. Her Master was waiting just outside the door and she'd just gone through some sort of traumatizing experience that he couldn't even begin to fathom. He'd never seen her cry before. Never.

Sad. Happy. Mischievous. Exhausted. Angry. Fuming even to the point of almost visible steam.

But never cry.

Who had dared break his spirited and feisty Ahsoka? Lux was already not happy with them, whoever they were. But he could come up with two likely guesses: The Jedi Council and the Senate Tribunal. He wished he could make them pay, but both were basically untouchable. And he was just a low level Senator in his first year of service. His power with his peers was about nil. It was incredibly frustrating.

Lux stroked the back of his fingers down her cheek, following the white marking, squeezing his other arm around her slender back at the same time. He smiled at her, eyes telling her to hold that thought for later.

Ahsoka's breath caught at the feel his fingers on her skin in such a gentle caress, leaning into it. It took her a moment to realize that she wasn't going to get a kiss just then, but she understood that this really wasn't a good time or place to have her first proper kiss. (That forced kiss on Carlac didn't count.) She sighed softly in regret and banked the sudden desires swimming through her for when they were actually alone. And she was clean. Clean was good. Poor Lux did not need to kiss a stink ball. She shuddered in her next breath and stepped back, however reluctantly, her hand trailing around his waist before she forced herself to drop it to her side.

"Thank you, Lux," Ahsoka said softly. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Lux grinned. "You are too, Soka." He glanced at the door and his expression fell into something more serious. "Your Master is waiting for you. I'll wait here for you, if you want."

Ahsoka reached up and cupped his jaw, letting him see her yearning in her eyes. "I want," she whispered.

Lux caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm, watching her eyes dilate and her breath catch. "Then I'll wait forever, if need be," he whispered back before squeezing her fingers gently and then letting her hand go.

Ahsoka clenched her fingers around her tingling palm and tried to steady her suddenly racing heart. "It won't be that long, I promise."

She didn't wait to see if he had any more responses to that, spinning on her foot and marching towards the door before she could throw herself back into his arms.

Why, why, why hadn't she pursued her feelings for him sooner? She'd followed that stupid no attachments code for nothing. It's not like Anakin wasn't breaking it. And Obi-Wan had for a while too, she was sure, with Duchess Satine. Why had she let it stop her from having her own lover too?

Still berating herself, Ahsoka sank onto the step beside Anakin and pressed herself close to his side, lending and taking support as they both sat in silence for a couple of minutes and stewed in their depressing thoughts.

Without looking at her, just staring down at her Silka beads that he was waterfalling from hand to hand, Anakin finally blurted out, "Why are you doing this? Why are you leaving me?"

Ahsoka was watching her beads in studied fascination, since she couldn't quite bring herself to look at him either. "I'm not leaving YOU. I'm leaving the Order and those nitwits in there. The Council didn't trust me, didn't believe in me, so why should I continue to fight for them? Why should I continue to follow a code that I don't believe in anymore?"

Anakin finally looked down at her, his blue eyes anguished. "What about me? I believed in you. I stood by you."

Ahsoka looked back up at him, sending all her regret to him over their bond and nudged a little closer into his side. "I know you believe in me, Anakin, and I'm grateful for that. But this isn't about you. I can't stay here any longer. Not now."

Anakin turned slightly and grabbed her shoulders in desperation. "The Jedi Order is your life; you can't just throw it away like this. Ahsoka, you are making a mistake."

Ahsoka reached up and cupped his cheeks in her hands, holding him just as tightly as he was her as their eyes locked. "Maybe," she admitted. "But I have to sort this out on my own. Without that blasted Council and maybe even without you."

Anakin let her go with a resigned sigh and they both watched the traffic fly by without really seeing it. "But you can figure out your life with Lux's help?"

Ahsoka flicked her eyes up at him for a moment at the hurt in his voice. "Maybe. That's one of the things I need to figure out."

Anakin huffed a pathetic sounding snort. "I understand," he said almost under his breath. "More than you realize, I understand wanting to walk away from the Order." He sounded torn from the inside out about it.

Ahsoka nudged him with her shoulder until he looked at her. "I know."

His brows drew together as he looked at her in perplexion. "What?"

Ahsoka smirked conspiratorially, wiggling her eyebrow markings up and down in a suggestive fashion. "I know about you and Padme," she whispered, almost just mouthing the words, in case the Temple walls had grown ears.

Anakin's eyes widened in alarm and then he started laughing. Quietly at first, but soon he was full on guffawing with tears running from his eyes.

Ahsoka smiled to herself, pleased that she'd managed to improve his mood, and waited for him to calm down.

Anakin eventually wiped his eyes and shook his head at her. "Only you, Snips. Only you could make such a serious confession and turn it into something fun."

Ahsoka grinned and bumped her shoulder into his teasingly. "Someone had to lighten the mood. You were getting too dark and gloomy for my liking."

"And that right there. That's why you can't leave me, Ahsoka. You know I need your light to keep me on track," he said very seriously.

"And I'm saying it again, since you obviously didn't hear me the first time. I'm. Not. Leaving. YOU, you nerfherder. Just the Order and this building. Annnnnd maybe Coruscant, depending on what happens with Lux." She blushed a little, just saying that, and Anakin cleared his throat in discomfort. "But what I'm trying to say is that I'll always be here for you, Master. Always. All you have to do is comm me and I'll talk to you, day or night. And if you need help, I'll be here for you as fast as I can get to you. I promise. And the Order can go hang if they don't like it," she finished with adamantly.

'Snips," he breathed in relief before enveloping her in a hug. Ahsoka hugged him back, relieved to be past the almost fight. He pulled back after half a minute and wrinkled his nose at her. "I know it's not your fault, and I'm not one to talk, but kriff, Ahsoka, you stink."

Ahsoka scrunched her face up at him in return. "Tell me about it. I feel like a walking dumpster." She shuddered in as exaggerated a fashion as she could. "I repulse even myself."

"Lux didn't seem too repulsed," Anakin teased.

Ahsoka blushed again, thankful her colouring didn't show it. "Ummmmm."

Anakin chuckled and stood up, pulling her up with him, then pocketing her Silka beads. "Come on, Snips. Let's ditch this joint. I heard something about Padme inviting you over. I'm sure she won't mind a couple more."

Ahsoka glanced at him sideways. "Especially when one of the party crashers is so... familiar to her and welcome in her... apartment anytime."

Anakin stared at her for her audacity and then laughed again. "I don't know how you managed to keep the fact that you knew under wraps for who knows how long."

"It was a terrible struggle," Ahsoka admitted teasingly. "All those missed opportunities for ribbing you and I had to keep my mouth shut. I like this much better."

"I have a feeling I won't," Anakin muttered as they stuck their heads in the door.

Ahsoka poked him in the ribs playfully then looked over at Lux. "Come on, Lux. We're going to Padme's."

Lux lit up, happy to see that the two of them were on good terms and that he was getting included in whatever Ahsoka's plans were. He walked over to them and handed Anakin the data chip before he forgot it in his pocket indefinitely.

Anakin stared at the chip for a moment before he remembered what it was for. A flash of anger went through him as he remembered Barriss' treachery, but he funnelled it away, not wanting to dwell on negatives anymore. "Thanks, Lux," he said as he pocketed the data chip. "We'll drop this off..." He paused as another thought occurred to him. "You know what? I have something else to do first. You two wait outside for me and I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Okay," Ahsoka said as she watched her Master stride back towards the High Council chamber. Now she was worried about what he was up to. She'd seen that set look to his shoulders and jaw before and sometimes it meant trouble. Okay, more than sometimes. More like almost always. "Just don't do anything stupid," she called to his back.

"Me? Stupid? Never!" Anakin called back, laughter echoing down the hallway.

Shaking her head at her Master's blatant untruth, Ahsoka linked her arm through Lux's and pulled him outside and back to the same set of steps that she'd just been sitting on with Anakin.

They settled onto the top step and she kept her arm linked through his and rested her head on his shoulder.

Lux looked down at her in surprise then extracted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

Ahsoka's eyes closed as a sense of peace finally settled in her soul and she yawned widely, winding her arms around his lean waist. "I know you have a million questions, Luxi, and I promise I'll answer them, but until Anakin gets back, I'm just going to sleep a little," she mumbled into his tunic.

"That's okay, Soka," he said softly, seeing the exhaustion on her face now that she let it show. "Just sleep."

She yawned again, rubbed her face against his shoulder until she found just the right spot, and then she was out.

Lux gazed down at her in adoring awe that she trusted him enough to sleep against him. Daringly, he pressed a kiss to a clean spot on her montral, and then he just basked in the wonder of having her wrapped around him and safe and sound and not imprisoned or executed.


	4. Drastic Changes Occur

**Drastic Changes Occur:**

_D83/20 BBY, Coruscant_

After turning a couple corners and up a level of the staircase, Anakin propped himself against a wall and took a deep breath for courage.

Then he commed Padme.

"Hi, angel," he said with forced brightness when she answered and her hologram appeared in the little device on his palm.

"Ani," she breathed in relief. "How'd it go with Ahsoka and the Council?"

Anakin winced and tried not to let the hurt show too much. Despite Ahsoka's reassurances that she'd still be with him, Anakin wasn't buying it, knowing the Council would keep them apart whenever possible. "Not good. Not good at all. The Council were nerfherders, as usual, and Ahsoka rejected their offer of instant Knightship to make up for their stupidity. She's left the Order for good, Padme. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now."

"Oh, Ani. I'm sorry." She wished she could hug his sad looking little hologram. "You know you'll always have me, though, right? I'll always support you, no matter what you do."

Anakin smiled crookedly. "Yah, I know. Because you're the best wife in the galaxy. Ahsoka's promised she's going to still be my friend but I just know the Council will do whatever is necessary to keep us apart, including sending me to the Outer Rim for months at a time. Which is why I'm about to go do something really stupid."

"What are you planning, Anakin?" Padme said with a worried look.

Anakin winced at the tone, but forged ahead anyway. "I'm about to go essentially blackmail the Council."

"Anakin!"

"I know it's probably a terrible idea, but I really don't care anymore. I'm sick of this war. I'm sick of being parted from you all the time. I'm sick of the backstabbing poodoo." He paused, collecting himself again. "I just wanted to warn you beforehand in case this comes back to bite you as well."

Padme sighed. "Do whatever you feel is necessary, Ani. I'll support you. Just... Promise me you'll keep your temper?"

Anakin smiled something that resembled the beginnings of a grin. "I promise. Thank you, angel. Do you want to listen? I can leave the comm on in my pocket."

Padme thought he was so sweet to think of that. "Sure, sweetie. I'd like that very much."

Anakin was grinning for real now. "Great. I'm going now." Nodding to himself and her, he switched the comm to voice only and put it in his pocket.

"Good luck," came from the depths of his tunic as he took the rest of the stairs three at a time. His expression fell into serious as he moved, but he felt bolstered just knowing that his wife was there for him. Between that and the bond he had with her, it was almost as good as having her physically beside him.

Not sure exactly what he was going to do, but feeling fed up with basically EVERYTHING Jedi, Anakin swept past the Temple Guards at the chamber door before they could stop him, and after what they'd heard about what he'd done to Barriss earlier, they weren't inclined to try anyway. They just got out of his way and he strode into the High Council room unannounced.

The Masters were all still there, sitting in their chairs, and the holograms of the missing members had joined whatever heated discussion they were having now. The room hushed when Anakin entered.

"Something to say have you, Knight Skywalker?" Yoda said disapprovingly.

"Yes, I do," Anakin said, stopping at the edge of the circle so they could all see his face. He flicked the data chip at Windu, the Master he disliked the most by a lightyear, who caught it out of reflex. "That's a recording of Barriss' confession. I'll be very disappointed if she's not dealt with as severely as my Padawan was." The unspoken threat was clear to hear in his growled voice and see in his narrowed eyes.

The Council shifted uncomfortably in their chairs, since they'd just been talking about Barriss and what to do with her. Some thought she should be dealt with in a more sensitive fashion to what they'd done with Ahsoka, having learned their lesson the hard way.

But others thought she should be punished even more than Ahsoka was. Needless to say, the debate would probably rage on for a while.

Anakin then pulled Ventress' lightsabres from the back of his belt and tossed them at Obi-Wan. "I had the displeasure of talking to her the last time, Master. It's your turn to find her and return these. I'm sure she'll love to see you," he said dryer than the sands of Tatooine. Anakin smirked as Obi-Wan reluctantly caught them and stared at them in consternation.

A few of the Council members chuckled quietly, since everyone knew how much Obi-Wan and Ventress loved to hate each other.

Anakin turned back to the Council as a whole and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm taking a few days off. Don't even bother trying to contact me unless the Temple is on fire. My PADAWAN," he said with extra emphasis, "is in need of support for the time being while she figures out where to live and what to do with her life now, and I intend to help her. And I'm warning you right now, if you send me back into battle, I'm taking her with me if that's what she wants. We're a team, whether you like it or not. My men love her and will die for her and so will I. What you did to her was despicable and you should all be ashamed of yourselves."

"We only followed standard procedure," Windu protested.

Anakin's fists clenched as he held onto his temper by a very thin thread, remembering his promise to Padme. "Kriff you and your standard procedures." The room gasped as one at the outright disrespect he'd never dared show before. Anakin continued through the shocked silence. "Ahsoka is one of the best Jedi this Temple has ever produced and you spat on her like she was dirt." He paused to stare at each Master in turn, glaring the longest at Windu, who just narrowed his eyes in return. "Would it have hurt your little egos so much to stop and think with your feelings for once in your lives? I swear this Council relies on bantha poodoo rules and regulations way too much."

"Now see here!" Windu said, standing up and looking like he was about to explode.

Anakin was just so DONE with Windu's snotty attitude that he'd had to suffer with for years. He held out a hand and shoved him back into his chair with a burst of the Force, earning more gasps from the assembled.

"Too far you take this, Skywalker!" Yoda said as he and three others stood up as well, banging his cane against the floor for emphasis.

"Actually, I don't think I've taken it far enough," Anakin replied matter of factly. He gathered up the boundless source of power he'd found in himself on Mortis and held out both hands, shoving all of the Masters either back into their chairs or pressing those still seated into the backs of their seats. Even the holograms flickered as his influence on the Force was felt across lightyears and he shoved their physical bodies as well just to show how very serious he was and what they were dealing with. Not even Obi-Wan was spared from his lesson.

The Masters stared at him in enforced stunned silence as they realized the extent of his power that he'd not admitted to; since he, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka had kept the whole Mortis thing to themselves because as far as the records and time were concerned, it hadn't. All of the Council felt his will in the Force bearing down on them and despite doing everything they knew how to break a Force hold, none of them could move a muscle. And what stunned them even more was the source he was drawing from. It felt like neither Dark nor Light side energy but was simply the Force as a whole.

Some of them were impressed. Some of them were scared. Yoda was both and very curious. When had he learnt such a thing? It certainly wasn't in the Temple. Yoda could see Obi-Wan in his peripheral vision and he found it very interesting to note that the other Master wasn't surprised in the least. Dismayed perhaps. But not surprised. Someone had been keeping secrets. What he did know was that no Jedi had ever performed such a feat of power to hold a dozen Masters in place at once. Despite all of his misgivings, Skywalker had proved himself over and over again as the Chosen One, and this just finalized it in Yoda's mind. The Chosen One was supposed to bring balance to the Force. Skywalker was proving that he could use a balanced version of the Force with calm control. Yoda doubted most of the others understood what they were witnessing. But of all of them, Yoda hoped that Mace, at the very least, got a glimmer of the danger they were all in if Skywalker were ever to turn on the Council for real.

After holding the Masters still for a full minute, Anakin spoke again. "I wasn't finished speaking and I would appreciate it if you would just stay put and listen until I'm done." He lowered his hands and let them go.

No one said a word.

"Thank you." Anakin said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, as I was saying, you need to take a really good look at your rules and codes and decide if they still apply to this day and age. You're all still living in the past and it's obviously not working! It kills me that you couldn't pull your heads out of your asses long enough to just stop and think things through long enough to realize that Ahsoka would NEVER bomb the Temple or murder fellow Jedi. We weren't even on Coruscant for a whole month before the bombing occurred!"

Anakin paused and took a deep breath, controlling his emotions once again. "Ahsoka is a good, caring person who has more love for life in her little finger than most of you seem to have in your entire bodies. Which brings me around to the 'No Attachments' rule. What is up with that poodoo? Almost every single Master who's had a Padawan becomes attached to them and LOVES them. And don't even try and tell me otherwise. You think I can't feel your emotions? Like you and your new Padawan, Caleb, I think his name is?" Anakin said turning to face Master Billaba's hologram.

Depa glanced at the ground in consternation for being signalled out when all eyes turned to her.

"You can't tell me he isn't just like a son to you and that you wouldn't protect him with your life. If that isn't love, then what is?" Anakin continued, driving home his point. "Ahsoka is my little sister in everything but name and I love her dearly and it's going to take something very drastic from all of you for me to forgive you for what you did to her." He stared at them all for another few seconds, happy to see that most were now looking quite ashamed of themselves. Everyone but Windu, in fact. He knew hate was not a good path for him to follow, but he sure was trudging in that direction for Master Windu.

"And since I have your undivided attention, I have a confession to make," Anakin said, deciding to throw whatever caution he had left to the wind. "The instant this war is over, I'm leaving the Order unless you've changed your rules by then."

The Masters looked at each other in confusion for a few moments until Master Koon decided to just ask the question everyone was thinking. "And why would you do this?"

Anakin smirked slightly, looking forward to the reactions. He'd been holding this in for so long, it felt good to finally get it out in the open. "Because I'm married to Senator Amidala and have been since just after the war began. And if you don't like it or anything else I just said, tell me now and I'll walk out of this Temple and never come back."

"Bloody hell," Obi-Wan muttered. "I knew something was going on, but I didn't want to see it."

Anakin grinned at his Master. "Surprise."

"I didn't need any more surprises from you, Anakin," Obi-Wan said dryly. "I swear you're giving me grey hairs."

"But grey is such a sophisticated look, Master," Anakin teased, eliciting a roll of the eyes from said Master.

While they were bantering, the rest of the Council were processing. A few were only mildly surprised, having sensed Anakin's affection for the Senator previously. Some were drop dead shocked. A few were infuriated at the blatant disregard for the Code.

Of course Windu was one of the infuriated ones. He moved to stand, but thought better of it at the last second. Instead, he leaned forward. "Perhaps you should just leave the Order, then, Skywalker, since you're planning on it anyway," he all but sneered as he spoke.

Anakin focused on his nemesis once again. "I would think about that offer very carefully if I were you. What would the public think if the 'Hero With No Fear' was no longer fighting this ridiculous war for them? What would the people do if they were informed you kicked me out of the Order for MARRYING the girl that I love and for supporting my Padawan who was falsely accused of murder and treason? I think they'd be on my side. The public love a romantic sob story and, man, have I got one."

Anakin watched the Masters shift around and glance at each other in consternation, whispering back and forth as they debated what to do with him. A little niggle of glee grew in the back of his mind at having finally told them off the way he'd wanted to for so long. Obi-Wan caught his eye and he could swear the corner of his mouth was twitching, indicating he was holding back some serious laughter, and his eyes twinkled at him.

Anakin took a deep breath as a sense of the rightness of their old bond rekindled once again. He'd been so angry at Obi-Wan lately, but he just couldn't maintain it when he lent his silent support now. Anakin sent a mental smirk and eye roll to his Master as the other Council members continued to mutter to each other behind their hands. No one bothered to get Obi-Wan's opinion because they knew he'd support Anakin, no matter what he did.

Eventually Master Yoda addressed Anakin again. "Agreed to your 'requests' the Council has. Stay with the Order you shall and continue to fight with you Force User Tano may and keep her rank of Commander she will. Reassess we will, once the war is over."

"And what about her salary?" Obi-Wan piped up. "Who will pay that?"

"Salary?!" Windu all but shouted, taken aback. "Jedi don't get salary. All of our needs are simply paid for by the Republic."

Obi-Wan steepled his fingers in front of his mouth to hide a smirk. "Yes. That is true. If you don't count the allowance we receive like children. But Ahsoka is no longer a Jedi. If she wants to fight for the Republic military like we do, then does she not deserve a salary like any other Commanding Officer that is not a Jedi?"

"I suppose your point is valid," Windu admitted grudgingly. "I will talk to the appropriate people and make sure she gets a SALARY," he said, just barely restraining the urge to sneer, hating the fact that the one he'd been perfectly happy to discredit was going to get PAID now.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said graciously as he rose calmly to his feet and moved to stand beside Anakin. "And now, fellow members of the Council, I do believe this is my cue to make a strategic exit. The vast majority of you have treated my Master, myself, my Padawan, and my Grandpadawan abominably for as long as I can remember. You hardly ever listen to my opinions. You forced me to keep the truth of faking my death from Anakin as some sort of TEST, which I despised. You refused to send help to the Duchess of Mandalore when she needed it and now she's dead and Mandalore is under the control of a Sith monster. And since we're on the subject of attachments, I loved Satine and I had to hold her in my arms as she died, the same way I had to hold Qui-Gon, who was killed by the same monster. I will forever regret not marrying her and leaving the Order when I first met her fourteen years ago, but I kept my relationship with her a secret and sacrificed my happiness in exchange for dedication to the Order. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if half the Order is hiding secret relationships. Wouldn't it make more sense to welcome proper loving attachments within the rules than for everyone to hide a significant portion of their lives?"

Once again, the Council was left in speechless surprise.

Obi-Wan forged on, unrelenting in stating his opinion now that the flood gates had opened. "Barriss Offee may have gone about showing her opinions all wrong but she was right about one thing; the Jedi Order is a disaster right now and the Dark side clouds our vision further every day. There is something seriously wrong and most of you refuse to see it." He paused for breath, feeling Anakin send him encouragement through their bond that was strengthening with every word he spoke. "I hereby resign from the Council until some sort of drastic change occurs here. I can no longer bear to be a part of this farce."

The room was dead silent while most of the Council members stared at Obi-Wan in shock.

Master Plo Koon stood abruptly. "I agree with Kenobi. The Force feels all wrong here in a way it never used to. I too resign from the Council. We rarely accomplish anything useful anyway. The Republic owns us just as much as they own the Clones. And since that's the case, I think I'll move my quarters to the Military base. The atmosphere there is much clearer and friendlier."

"I too resign," Master Fisto said in his holographic form. "I like your idea, Plo Koon. If we are to be treated like soldiers, we should live like soldiers." His expression turned truly devilish before he said, "I think I'll request a married couples' quarters so Aayla can live with me, since she's my mate." He smirked and crossed his arms to the sound of gasps and chuckles.

"I think we've started something," Anakin said to Obi-Wan in an undertone.

"Something good, I hope," he answered back just as quietly.

"I resign as well," Master Billaba also said via hologram suddenly.

"Depa!" Windu said in shock.

"Sorry, Master," she said with a shrug. "But they have a valid point that I've been thinking on my own for a long time. I shudder to think what I would do if my Padawan was put through the same ordeal that Ahsoka was. It could have been Caleb framed for murder just as easily as any other Padawan. The Temple does not feel safe anymore. It does not feel like a welcoming haven like it should. As my last word as a Council member, I suggest that every effort be put forth to find out why the Force is in such turmoil right under our own feet. There must be a reason."

Windu hummmphed in a non-committal fashion and glared at the rest of the Council. "Does anyone else want to resign?"

Two more members stood up in the form of Master Ki-Adi-Mundi and the holo form of Master Allie.

"Fine," Windu all but spat. "You're all dismissed. Just keep doing your jobs until we figure out what's going on. You have my word that more effort will be put forth to discover why the Temple is shrouded in Darkness. As far as the attachment issue is concerned, we'll be discussing that. I wish I could kick half the Order out, but that just isn't feasible with the war going on, so for the moment, concessions are going to have to be made. But once the war is over..." He left the threat hanging in the air.

The physically present dismissed nodded curtly in response to his bitter tone and left the room as the applicable holograms flickered out.

Anakin and Obi-Wan walked side by side, not needing to speak since their bond was bouncing back and forth with forgiveness, happiness, and somewhat stunned surprise at the turn of events. Anakin had no idea his rebellion would start something so amazing, but he thought it was a very good thing that needed to happen. The council was due to be shaken out of its stupidity.

They paused together a couple short hallways later when they realized that Ki-Adi-Mundi and Plo Koon were still following them.

"You had something else to add?" Obi-Wan asked curiously of the older Masters as they turned to look at them as a synchronized pair.

"Yes," Ki-Adi said. "I think what you two did today was very brave and I will support you whole heartedly in whatever decisions you make in the future." He stared at them intently, willing them to understand what he was saying.

Obi-Wan blinked as he thought he got it. "Are you talking about a coup?" He'd never even considered that.

Ki-Adi nodded once. "I believe that there are others who would also be inclined towards that outcome. I will talk to them and let you know how much support you would have if you like."

"There is another option," Plo Koon interjected. "We could start a second Order. One more in control of our own existence. People would be free to choose which Order they want to support. Now is a good time to do it, since the Republic needs us to fight their war. Also, I believe a change in location is in order. Somewhere less... Dark and politically inclined."

Obi-Wan and Anakin glanced at each other, speaking wordlessly as they both agreed that the idea had a LOT of merit.

"Somewhere like Naboo, perhaps?" Anakin volunteered hopefully. "It's a nice warm planet and has lots of different terrain to train on. The Force always felt happy there to me. We could build a Temple there."

Obi-Wan and Plo chuckled at his eager expression. "What, not Tatooine? I'm shocked," Obi-Wan said teasingly.

Anakin groaned in mock horror at the idea. "Never speak that idea again."

"I'm sure something like Naboo would be acceptable," Plo said with a smile in his tone.

"I know I could find something suitable already built to get you started with," came a muffled voice from inside Anakin's tunic.

The others' eyes widened in surprise and Anakin grimaced as he fished out the comm and flicked it back to a holo image. "Padme, I almost forgot you were still listening. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

She smiled with amusement. "That's all right, Ani. Things certainly are turning out better than you thought they would, aren't they?"

Anakin could barely contain his happiness at the reminder. "It most certainly did. Did you say you could find us something on Naboo to move our half of the Order to?"

Padme's tiny image nodded. "I'm sure of it. I like the idea of having you on my homeworld and you still getting to be a Jedi very much. You've worked so hard to accomplish what you have, it never sat well with me that you would leave the Order for me. I feel like everything's finally trying to work out the way it should."

"I think it is too," Anakin said, beaming. "Tell Threepio to make a feast. There's four of us coming to invade your apartment and I'm starving. I'm sure Ahsoka is too."

"All right, Ani," Padme said on a laugh. "We'll be watching for you."

"See you soon, angel," Anakin said sappily, radiating contentment.

Padme nodded with a gentle smile and her hologram disappeared.

As Obi-Wan listened to their conversation as they no longer bothered to hide their relationship behind a mask of casual friendship, he realized how much he and Satine had in common with the younger couple. Only neither of them had fought hard enough to make happen what Anakin had just done. And now he'd lost her and it was too late to start over. It was almost enough to send him into forlorn sobbing once again.

But Obi-Wan had had years of practice of pushing his emotions off to the side to be dealt with later. So instead of breaking down in tears, he turned his focus back to Plo and Ki-Adi. "It sounds like we might have something of a plan forming here. If you two would like to be in charge of finding out who else would be inclined to join a new, attachment accepting Order, I'll work on organizing a proper meeting so we can discuss this further. And from the sounds of it, it might be on Naboo."

"I have no problem with this." Ki-Adi smiled briefly before he bowed slightly and then strode off in a different direction.

Plo wanted to address something a little more serious before leaving as well. "Tell our little Soka that I'm truly sorry for what she was forced to endure. And if we do get a new Order up and running, I hope she will join us, either as a Knight or a Padawan ready to take her trials. We'll leave the decision up to her this time, like we should have in the first place."

"I'll do that," Anakin said warmly. "Thank you, Master Plo."

Plo nodded regally before he turned and walked away.

Anakin glanced at his Master as he resumed his trek back to Ahsoka. "Well, that was unexpected."

Obi-Wan snorted in amused agreement. "I believe that is called an understatement of epic proportions, my dear Anakin."

Anakin grinned, happy to have his sarcastic Master back.

"So what are we doing now?" Obi-Wan asked just before Anakin opened the door to the outside world.

Anakin paused. "First, we get Ahsoka and Lux, then I guess we're packing our rooms, not that we have much. And after that, we're moving into Padme's place."

Obi-Wan raised a questioning copper brow. "She won't mind my presence?"

Anakin shook his head emphatically. "Not at all. She'll just be happy we're being friendly again. She's been after me to make up with you since the whole faking your death thing."

Obi-Wan winced and put a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "I AM sorry about not telling you beforehand. I really wanted to."

"So I heard. I know the Council is a pain in the ass. I've already forgiven you, Master, so don't beat yourself up about it anymore. I sense you have enough sorrow in you already that you don't have to add that." Anakin put his own hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder so they were completely connected. "And I know I should have said this sooner, but I'm sorry for the loss of your Duchess. I could feel how much you loved her. I know I'd be devastated if I lost Padme, so I can sympathize."

Obi-Wan bowed his head, closing his eyes as he fought back tears once again and failed. "I miss her, Anakin. So much. We were never brave enough to ignore the rules like you and Padme did, and I regret it more than I can say."

Anakin cupped the back of Obi-Wan's head and pulled him down to his shoulder, hugging him lightly as the older man who was like a brother to him in all but name shook with silent sobs. "It will be okay, Obi-Wan," Anakin said softly as he patted his back awkwardly. He'd never seen Obi-Wan breakdown like this. Ever. He felt terrible now for ignoring his Master for so long out of spite. He vowed to never again let childish anger get between him and his Master, no matter what happened. And he did his best to convey the thought along their bond, further rebuilding their ties.

Drawing strength from Anakin's support, Obi-Wan sucked in a shuddering breath and pulled himself together out of sheer willpower. So much for not crying again until he was alone. He stood up straight again and swiped at his eyes and cheeks with a handkerchief he pulled out of a pocket and then smiled shakily at Anakin. "Force, I needed that. I know I don't tell you this often enough, but I'm incredibly proud of you, Anakin. What you did today took a great deal of discipline and guts. You impressed and scared a lot of Masters with your little speech and show of power."

Anakin flushed in pleased embarrassment. "Yes, well. None of that was really planned. I just couldn't take their blockheaded idiocy anymore and I kind of snapped."

Obi-Wan laughed. "Perhaps you should have snapped sooner, but I won't even dare get into the multitudes of reasons why or I'll get all maudlin again." He sighed slightly and pushed on the door. "Come on then and let's pick up the teenagers."

They walked outside together and took in the absolutely adorable sight of Ahsoka sound asleep on Lux's shoulder.

Lux looked up at them at the same time and made a shushing motion, not that they needed it. Ahsoka was dead to the world and her Force signature was almost dormant. Almost nothing could wake her when she was that tired. (Anakin knew this from experience from when they'd fought days long battles.)

Anakin made a move to pick up Ahsoka and carry her like he usually did when he couldn't get her to wake up and move herself, but Lux stopped him and picked her up himself in gentle and obviously loving arms.

Obi-Wan turned a curious brow up at Anakin.

"I think they're a thing now," Anakin explained.

Lux flushed in embarrassment as he shifted Ahsoka a little higher in his arms. "Ummm. Maybe? I hope so anyway."

Ahsoka hummed in her sleep, wrapping her arms around Lux's neck and snuggling into his shoulder as she mumbled, "Love you, Luxi."

"I think that's your answer, Lux," Obi-Wan said dryly as they started to walk back into the Temple.

Lux gazed down at the sleeping girl in flustered wonder, hardly noticing that Anakin and Obi-Wan were chortling in hushed amusement as they literally steered him through the doorway.

She'd said she loved him.


	5. Force Bonds and Family

**Force Bonds and Family:**

_D83/20 BBY, Coruscant_

Lux barely noticed how long it took them to descend into the depths of the Temple where the living quarters were. He definitely didn’t notice the looks he received from the various people they passed; ranging from amused to curious to concerned. Nor did he notice that Ahsoka’s Masters had to stop him from walking into walls at least twice or had to tug him off the turbolift because he was too enamored with looking at the girl in his arms to pay attention to those leading him on their journey to Ahsoka’s room.

What he did notice was the way her long eyelashes cast shadows on her cheekbones. He noticed the slight hollowing of her cheeks from hunger. He noticed the adorable line of her nose. He noticed the curve of her luscious lips as she smiled in her sleep. He noticed the way her soft breaths touched the skin of his neck with every exhale she made. He noticed the way her back lek seemed to cling to his arm instead of hanging down.

He also observed that she was paradoxically both heavier and lighter than he expected; she didn’t look like much, being all lean muscles and curves, but she was definitely a solid weight in his arms that made him think she might be even tougher than he’d believed. And despite this, she felt like a feather in his arms as he felt limitlessly powerful as he carried her, certain he’d happily carry her for the rest of his life.

A tug on the back of his tunic had Lux jerking to a stop. He peered over his shoulder to find out why his progress had been halted and flushed in embarrassment at the look of sheer amusement on Kenobi’s and Skywalker’s faces and their identical crossed arm poses. Lux turned around and raised an imperious brow at the older men in question. “What?”

Anakin tossed his head in the direction of the door Lux had just passed with a smirk. “I said; this one’s hers, Bonteri, but I’m guessing you didn’t hear me the first time.”

“Ummm, no” Lux admitted.

“Have you heard anything we’ve said to you over the last five minutes?” Master Kenobi asked, raising a copper brow and clearly fighting the urge to grin if the twitching of his mustache was anything to go by.

“That would also be a no,” Lux muttered, wishing they would just go away and leave him alone with Ahsoka.

“That’s what I thought,” Anakin said, smirk widening. “I told you we were talking to deaf ears, Master,” Anakin said, shooting a glance at Kenobi.

“Was it important?” Lux said, exasperated by their teasing.

“Most of it, not really,” Anakin admitted. “But the gist of the important stuff was this; we’re going to go pack up our rooms which should take maybe five minutes. You have until we get back to wake up Snips and get that poor girl in the shower and help her pack.”

Lux’s eyes lit up at the idea of taking a shower with Ahsoka, which had both Jedi shaking their heads at him, practically in sync.

“And no, I don’t mean you get to help her shower, Bonteri,” Anakin all but growled. “But propping her in the shower, fully dressed,” he tacked on pointedly, “and turning on the water just might get her awake enough to get her stuff packed and inspire her to change her clothes.”

Lux gawked slightly at Ahsoka’s Master. “You don’t actually expect me to do that to her, do you?”

Anakin shrugged as he hit the button to open the door to Ahsoka’s quarters. “Sure. I’ve done it to her more than once in the past. It works every time.” He pushed Lux inside the room. “Now get to it.” He gave Lux one last warning glare. “And no funny business. I’ll know.”

Lux gulped at the steely look in those blue eyes which thankfully disappeared as the door slid shut.

He looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms and shook his head at her in amazement. “I don’t know how you stand him sometimes.”

Ahsoka’s mouth quirked up, and without opening her eyes, she said, “Some days, I don’t.” Her eyes blinked open and she assumed a smirk that practically copied the one Anakin had been wearing a minute ago. “Sometimes, I’m inspired to retaliate with the worst pranks Rex and the boys and I can think of.”

Lux laughed softly. “Usually, I’m not sure if I like that I’m an only child or not. But hearing things like that definitely makes me lean toward the yes column.”

Ahsoka grinned up at Lux, tightening her arms around his neck and curling her toes in her boots in pleasure as she fully registered just how close he was holding her to his hard chest. She had to admit that waking up in his arms was probably the best thing to happen to her, like, ever. Even as she studied his multihued grey eyes, she sighed. “Unfortunately, my ‘big brother’ really will be back shortly and I have no intention of being half dressed when he gets here.”

It took Lux a moment to register that she meant she needed to be let down. His arms very reluctantly did so, carefully placing her feet on the floor. Ahsoka kept hold of his neck, though, so his hands settled on her waist and he looked at her in question, a glimmer of hope at what she might have in mind taking root.

Ahsoka rose on her toes a bit and brushed her mouth over his cheek in a whisper of a kiss. “Thank you for carrying me, Luxi,” she breathed softly. “Now I’m going to go take the galaxy’s fastest shower while brushing my teeth, and then pack like a demon, and then… if we still have some time, I’m coming back to this spot right here.”

“Okay,” he all but squeaked out as her lips brushed his jaw and then she was gone like a flash of light from his arms. Lux basically stopped breathing as he watched her fling pieces of clothes off while striding to the small dresser in the room.

Her headband with the attached beads hit the center of the small bed first, quickly followed by her diamond shaped necklace and belt. She hopped and pulled off her boots and socks as she walked in what should have been a graceless act but she managed it with a dramatic flair that deserved the, ‘Ha!” she said when she was done. These were tossed by the dresser. Her elbow length gloves with the built in forearm armour were next, quickly followed by the upper arm bands. Those went to the bed. And last, after shooting him a wink over her shoulder, she wiggled out of the leggings with the diamond shaped cutouts on the sides.

Lux’s heart was pounding like mad as he couldn’t help but stare at her round rear end now covered only by her very short skirt as she bent over to yank the leggings past her feet. “Stars,” he breathed, the hardon that had been thinking about happening while he was carrying her blooming to full life in an instant.

Ahsoka sucked in a breath at the wave of desire rolling though the Force and looked up at Lux as she absently tossed her filthy leggings onto the floor with her equally filthy socks. Their eyes caught and held for an endless moment before she gave herself a mental shake and turned back to the dresser. Her core felt hot and needy in response to his heated look, surprising her by the strength of her instant desire. She wondered if she was starting to form a Force bond with Lux, letting her experience his feelings, because it sure felt like it.

She liked it.

A lot.

She dug out fresh underwear (thank the Force), and comfortable black slacks and a pretty patterned silver and white shirt to change into since they were going to Padme’s. It wasn’t often that she wore something other than her fighting outfit, but since she didn’t have her lightsabres anymore anyway, she didn’t see the point in putting on her backup set of battlewear.

As she took the few steps to the tiny refresher attached to her room, she gave Lux a quick smile. “There’s a travel bag beside the dresser there. Can you stuff my things into it for me?”

“Su… sure,” Lux stuttered as the refresher door closed, still overwhelmed by the sight of seeing her in just a short skirt and her sleeveless top. So much beautiful orange skin on display had basically short circuited his brain. And he’d learned something new about her as well; she had white markings on her forearms, hands, shins, and feet, too. His heart pounded at the thought of tracing his tongue over those markings and discovering where else she might have white skin patterns.

With some difficulty, he reminded himself to move, and focused on Ahsoka’s room for the first time.

He quickly saw why she thought all of her things would fit into one travel bag; because she didn’t have any things. The room was tiny, smaller than the refresher in his suite at home. There were no pictures on the walls or knickknacks on the lonely dresser. The bed was actually just a thin mattress on the floor covered by one bland beige blanket and had a pathetic excuse for a pillow.

He suddenly felt incredibly blessed in his pampered life.

He honestly didn’t know if he could sleep on that bed. It looked hard and cold and anything but inviting. Thank the stars he hadn’t been born Force sensitive and forced to live the life of a Jedi.

He couldn’t wait to take Ahsoka to his home and give her a proper bed to sleep in. His, preferably, but a guest bed would do as well. Kriff, even the one on his ship, if that's what she wanted.

Picking up the travel bag, Lux started opening the drawers of the dresser. The top one contained an array of multicoloured underthings that made him practically pant, imagining Ahsoka wearing nothing but the royal blue set of underwear he spotted near the top of the pile.

Kriff, this wasn’t helping the throbbing beast in his pants at all. Lux scooped up the whole drawer full of panties, bras, and socks and tossed them into the bag quickly to get them out of sight.

He opened the next drawer and found another set of the burgundy clothes he was used to seeing her in, now understanding why she seemed to only have one outfit. As he picked up the shirt, skirt, and leggings, he noticed that the material was much heavier then you’d expect, making him realize it was actually a light form of armour. That actually explained a lot about how much she weighed and why she wore that particular outfit so often, considering she was almost always just a breath away from being sent back to war whenever he saw her.

He tucked the fighting clothes into the bag and then went back for what was left in the second drawer. It turned out to be a comfy looking set of flannel pajamas covered in playful tookas and a second set of silky red shorts and tank top pajamas for when it was warmer.

Stars, now he wanted to see her wearing either of those, thinking one would be adorable as hell and the other would probably blow his mind.

Lux placed her sleepwear in the bag as well and went for the last drawer. This one contained one black t-shirt, one pair of grey sweatpants, one grey hoodie sweater, and a long folded up brown hooded cloak. Those went in the bag as well as Lux shook his head at how little clothes she owned. He wasn’t exactly a clothes nut like some aristocrats, but his closet was bigger than this room and it was full.

He knelt by her bed and was going to add her arm bands, gloves, and belt to the bag, but realized that they had an odour she probably didn’t want contaminating her other clothes, so he left them, wondering if she had another bag they could put her dirty things in until they could be cleaned.

He left the packed bag on the bed and picked up her necklace and triangle headband, assuming she’d want to put those back on. And then he stood and turned back to the refresher door and waited while he listened to the sound of running water. He made a valiant effort to think of anything but how beautiful she must look with water pouring over her naked body so his erection would have a chance to deflate a little before she came back out and found him with a tent in his pants that his thigh length tunic just couldn't hide.

He failed.

The young Senator of Onderon wore a dopey smile, thinking that he might very well be a love struck fool and not caring in the slightest.

* * *

Ahsoka rushed through her shower with something resembling Force Speed, scrubbing her body clean from montrals to toes with soap in record time. She summoned her toothbrush and toothpaste to her hand while the water washed the soap off of her and gave her mouth a quick scrub and rinse, nearly sighing in relief to get the buildup of fuzz off her teeth and tongue and have a fresh minty taste in her mouth for the first time in days.

Honestly, if weren’t for that, she probably would have kissed Lux after he put her down, but she just couldn’t do it. Being a bad tasting, reeking, filthy, walking garbage can was not the impression she wanted to leave him with for their first real kiss.

Ahsoka spit out the used toothpaste, raised her face to the water and let it fill her mouth and then spit again. She put the teeth cleaning items on a ledge of the shower and turned off the water, then hit the button to activate the air dryer. Thirty seconds later, she was dry and squeaky clean.

She grabbed her soap and toothbrush and paste off the ledge, stepped out of the stall, put her things down on the vanity, dressed in her fresh clothes, and then opened the drawer of the vanity that contained all of her miscellaneous skin and makeup products and a few bits of jewellery that she’d accumulated over the years.

A wide, contoured silver headband that dipped in the middle but didn't cover up her forehead markings too much went on her head, permanently replacing the triangle one she’d worn for years that held her Silka beads. She’d found it a few months ago and had been unable to resist buying it, but never thought she’d actually wear this one except on undercover missions. But now she was glad she had it because she didn’t think she could ever wear the old headband again; not as long as it reminded her of what she had given up. And what had been taken from her.

The feel of having her Padawan beads torn off her head flashed through her mind again before she pushed it away.

Her fingers touched a matching silver necklace she’d worn once to a banquet that she had attended as Padme’s undercover bodyguard, but left it. She wanted her simple gold diamond pendant necklace again, because Anakin had given it to her for fifteenth birthday and she needed the comfort it brought her.

She wished there was time to put on a little moisturizer and maybe a dash of makeup, but she could feel Anakin and Obi-Wan were already heading back this way and there was something she desperately needed to do before they got here.

Ahsoka yanked the entire drawer out of the vanity and left the refresher in a rush before turning right back around and kicking her dirty clothes out the door.

She found Lux waiting for her, beaming as he saw her. She gave the dirty clothes on the floor one more kick, put the drawer on top of the dresser, walked right into his personal space, grabbed a couple handfuls of his tunic, and pressed her mouth to his in a very unskilled but enthusiastic kiss.

Lux groaned happily in his throat and wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her closer as he kissed her back with tender care. His experience with kissing was a little more well rounded than hers, but he was no expert either. His only goal was to not attack her the way he had when he kissed her as a ruse to save their lives from the suspicious Death Watch.

Ahsoka let the kiss last for five more blissful seconds before giving him one last peck and then pulling away. They shared panting breaths while eyes met with happy wonder.

“That was so much better than last time,” Ahsoka said as she noticed her things in his hand.

“By a lightyear,” Lux agreed, watching with eager eyes as she fastened her necklace on again and then took the extra headband from his hand and put it in the drawer with the other girly things. “You look beautiful,” he complimented huskily, taking in her simple, but elegant outfit. “I like the new headband. It suits you.”

“Thank you,” Ahsoka said sincerely, stepping back to him and kissing his cheek quickly before grabbing her boots. “You look handsome, as always, and I very much like that you desire me,” she said with a pointed glance downwards, making Lux flush. “But the Masters will be here in a few seconds so you might want to think of something horrid, and fast, before Anakin cuts it off.”

Lux grimaced at the the thought and the problematic tent in his pants quickly disappeared. “Yeah, I don’t think I need to think of anything else. The image of your Master chopping off Little Lux with his lightsabre was more than effective,” he said dryly.

Ahsoka snorted with giggles as she was trying to pull on a boot, which made her lose her balance and fall backward onto the bed.

“I’m so glad to see that I’m amusing to you,” he said with mock hurt, his polished accent more pronounced than ever.

"Only every third odd numbered day," she teased as she shrugged slightly at her new position and pulled on her boots while sitting on the bed.

Lux snorted with inelegant amusement at her quick quip.

Ahsoka showed off her teeth in a grin as she tugged her trousers down over her boots and then moved to stand up.

Lux was in the process of helping her back to her feet when the door opened and in walked Anakin and Obi-Wan, carrying a bag each, and making the small space positively miniscule.

“Are we interrupting something?” Anakin asked teasingly, taking in the sight of her hand in Lux’s and their close proximity to each other. The good news was that she at least looked clean and unmolested. “Because you know we would hate to do that, right Master?” he said, sarcasm dripping from his tone as he glanced at Obi-Wan with mirth in his eyes.

“Quite,” Obi-Wan replied dryly, a smirk crossing his lips. “Force forbid we let the young ones have any sort of proper alone time. In fact, I think it is going to be our new mission to keep them as far apart as possible.”

Ahsoka groaned and flicked her fingers, throwing her dirty socks at their heads in retaliation with a quick burst of inappropriate use of the Force.

“Hey!” Anakin protested as a smelly sock landed on his face.

Obi-Wan was wily enough to catch his missile before it could reach its intended destination. He flicked it right back at Ahsoka with a laugh.

Anakin threw his sock at Ahsoka too in disgust.

Ahsoka dodged the socks, letting them land on the bed behind her. She crossed her arms and mock glared at her Masters. “That’s what you get for saying such wretched things.”

“I suppose that’s fair,” Obi-Wan admitted. “One dirty joke deserves another, after all.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes at him, her mouth quirking up in a reluctant smile. She looked at Lux, who just seemed a little speechless. “Are you sure you want me as your girlfriend? Cause, I’m afraid I come with these idiots here.”

“Hey!” Anakin and Obi-Wan said in token protest.

Lux laughed and tugged her close with an arm around her waist, kissing her cheek with a loud smack just for show to prove that he wouldn’t be intimidated by her Masters. “I can live with most anything or anybody, my precious Soka, as long as you come with it.”

“Gag me with a spoon,” Anakin muttered.

“Gladly,” Ahsoka shot back. “Right after I tell Padme that you have the mental capacity of a five year old youngling and should be treated as such.”

“Children!” Obi-Wan exclaimed. “Don’t make me sit you down in separate corners or send you to bed without dinner again!”

Ahsoka and Anakin looked down at the floor, ashamed but smiling. “Sorry, Master,” they mumbled together.

Lux shook his head at the lot of them. “You three are so similar, it hurts.”

All three looked at Lux with matching grins. “We know,” they said in sync.

“Freaky,” Lux muttered.

“Yep.” Ahsoka kissed his cheek before pulling out of his hold. She tossed all of her dirty clothes into the center of the bed and gathered the blanket up around them, making a bundle that she shoved into Lux’s arms. She then dumped her drawer of toiletries into a front pocket of the travel bag and then closed it.

Facing her family, Ahsoka raised a brow marking. “Anyone else ready to get this freak show on the road? Cause I’m hungry enough to eat a whole nerf.”

Her stomach rumbled loudly as if to emphasize her point.

The room burst into laughter and they filed out the door, still chuckling.

Ahsoka was the last one out.

She looked around the room she’d lived in for the better part of her sixteen years, saying a final goodbye and hoping the next youngling that was assigned the space found a family to love that was just as amazing as hers was.

She closed the door and skipped to catch up to Lux, who’d paused a couple steps away, waiting for her. She switched her bag to her left hand and laced her fingers through his free hand, ready to move on with the next chapter of her life.

Lux lifted their joined hands to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the white diamond on the top of her hand. “I didn’t know you had more white markings,” he murmured softly against her skin, eyes never leaving her stunning sky blue ones.

Ahsoka would have blushed scarlet if she’d been light skinned. She was glad she wasn’t. Smiling coyly, she murmured back, “If you ask really nice, maybe I’ll show you all of them.”

Lux’s eyes nearly went black as his pupil’s expanded to take over the grey. He touched his tongue to her skin, making her catch her breath. “Then I’ll beg, if that’s what you want, my Lady Tano,” he whispered.

Ahsoka lowered their joined hands before he could make her heart palpitate even worse. “I don’t think begging is going to be necessary,” she breathed out, her eyes glued to his and her breaths coming in shallow gasps at the lightning bolts of need that travelled from him to her and back again through the Force bond that was strengthening by the moment.

Their moon-eyed look was interrupted by Anakin’s exasperated voice yelling from way down the hallway.

“SNIPS!”

* * *

**A/N:** **Thank you all soooooo much for reading my stories! Every kudos, sub, or nice review makes me want to write that much more for you. :D :D :D :D :D**

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